"Where?"
"It does not matter. Anywhere. Salterne, or what is another place--Peterock. I am sick and weary of this place--I wish to see a new one. Surely there is no harm in that?"
She said this innocently enough, but in her eyes lay a something that was not so honest as her words.
"Why don't you ask Sir Marmaduke?" asked Hughie. "He'd let you go to Salterne or Peterock with Mrs. Chipman in the car. Why shouldn't he?"
"He would not; it is verboten (forbidden)," said the Countess sharply.
"It's what?" asked Hughie, frowning; he half recognized the sound of the German word, for he had heard Miss Chance helping Christobel with German holiday tasks.
"Nothing," answered the Countess quickly.
They had crossed in front of the sleeping windows, along the turf edge of the lawn borders. Hughie avoided a straight crossing, because the track on the grey wet spread of grass would be apparent to the whole house. Along the narrow border he scrubbed it out as they went, walking behind his charge for that purpose.
When they came to the front door end of the house, and the drive, he told the girl to hurry, and hurried himself--always on the turf edge, this time to avoid the noise of footsteps on the gravel.
"You see," he explained, "those open windows up above the front door are Addie's and Crow's. We are only in view about two seconds, but you never know."